catalog text
A FINE HAND FORGED SOLID 14 KARAT YELLOW GOLD COLLAR
By Ronald Hayes Pearson, United States, circa 1970s
Item # 107NKT14A
An exquisite design by the renowned goldsmith Ronald Hayes Pearson, this fine collar is hand wrought from solid 14 karat yellow gold creating an very attractive overall profile with a body that twists from squared ends into a flattened angular tip. The ends are angled to allow it to easy twisting onto the neck and the gold immediately springs back into shape around the neck. The necklace is finished in a brilliant high-polish throughout. It is a difficult to find designer statement piece with an overall austerity that allows it to be styled flexibly with a wide range of outfits.
Born in New York City, Ronald Hayes Pearson attended the University of Wisconsin from 1942 to 1943 and, after service in the U.S. Merchant Marine, continued his studies at the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University from 1947 to 1948. In 1949 he enrolled in the Reed & Barton Silver Company’s special design program. A founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Pearson taught jewelry making at leading craft schools and designed flatware for major silver companies.
Pearson’s long and distinguished career as a jeweler and metalsmith was honored in 1976 when he was elected a fellow of the American Craft Council and in 1987 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Portland School of Art in Maine for his contributions to American jewelry design.
Although his father was an etcher and an art critic, Ronald Hayes Pearson had no intention of becoming an artist. Following his military service in World War II, however, he became interested in metalworking, opened his first workshop in a converted chicken coop in 1948, and began a career that spanned five decades. Pearson’s forged metal pieces emphasize clarity of form over surface ornamentation. He viewed precious metals as plastic substances to be stretched or compressed into simple, elegant forms. He was a founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and a generous teacher known to employ aspiring artists in his workshop. Pearson is now regarded as one of the most influential figures in American metalsmithing. (Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum).
Specifications:
- Composition: 14 Karat Yellow Gold
- Markings: "14K" & "PEARSON"
- Dimensions: 4 9/16" W (inside) x 4 7/8" H (inside), tip of collar is 1/2" in breadth
- Age: Circa late 20th to early 21st century
- Total Weight: 48.7 grams
- Condition notes: Perfect condition, no observed flaws.